The Last Hope
by xXTheDragonRiderXx
Summary: 3 years ago, Percy was captured by Void but when Annabeth gets a lead on his whereabouts, she does not hesitate and she goes, not sure what to expect but knowing what to hope for. Which is why her hopes crash, because Percy can't remember who he is. All hope seems lost, but what she doesn't know is that there is one last hope, for the warrior within Percy is rising once again...
1. Chapter 1

_TheLast Hope_

**WARNING: MUCH DARKER THEN OTHER STORIES**

**Summary:** _It has been three years since Percy was captured by Void, and Annabeth at long last has gotten a lead from a surprising friend._

_When Annabeth sets out with Zoe Nightshade, Luke Castellan, Bianca and Nico di Angelo and Jason and Thalia Grace to Void's lair she doesn't know what to expect, but she knows exactly what to hope for._

_Which is why her hopes crash when they get to Void's lair, for Percy has lost his mind, and he can't remember who he is._

_All hope seems to be lost, but what she doesn't know is that there is one last hope, for the warrior within Percy is rising once again, and even in his dementia and he is the last hope that will save them all._

_Prologue _

She ran, panic clear in her stride as she ran from the lair. She kept on glancing back repeatedly, fearful that he would start to follow her. The one she had one called her friend, but then deserted her and gave himself over to that inhuman creature.

She suddenly let out a gasp when she saw him. She tried to veer left, but he stopped her with an unpleasant smile.

"Hello old friend." He said, smirking at her.

"Get away from me!" She cried out in fear as she tried to turn left, but he stopped her.

"Oh no, no, no," he began. "I shall think not." His once kind face turned into a snarl, and he brought his face closer so that they were nose-to-nose. "You are a deserter," he snarled, "You must be punished." He brought his hand as if to slap her, and then stopped abruptly.

She was worried about what this meant when he slowly began to smirk. "Ah yes," he began, "You may go. But you are to not tell of my identity, or I will hunt you down." He glared in her eyes, and she nodded hurriedly. "Now go, _deserter_," he laid stress on the word. "Go, and never return."


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter II_

**3rd Person**

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow in surprise. She crossed her arms and huffed. "Poseidon," she said sternly, "there is no way that there is no water right here."

Poseidon rubbed the back of his head in frustration as he glared at the sandy ground. "I know, Athena." His voice was sharp. "But there is nothing. I can't sense any water at all. It's like it's all… _gone_."

His voice was confused, bleak and slightly afraid. Athena's eyes softened and she knelt down next to the Sea god and wrapped her arms around him. Poseidon looked at her in surprise but she smiled warmly. "We are where Los Angelos was. Maybe we should check up on the underworld, although Nico was doing fine with keeping the sprits in."

Poseidon smiled and stood up. "Gaea really hates water." He muttered and Athena wrapped her arm around him. The two gods had cloaks on, to keep themselves hidden from anyone who served Void, or Gaea who served Void so pretty much everyone served Void. Athena shivered and looked up at the red sky.

"Are you cold?" Poseidon asked in concern and she smiled at him. Sand blew into her face and she spat it out. "I never thought I would say this," Poseidon muttered, "but I hate sand."

Athena smiled as the two entered the Underworld. "The sea god hates sand." She mused thoughtfully. "That's just wrong." Poseidon chuckled and crossed the river that was now dry. He looked at Charon's ferry and saw that it was empty.

"Nico did say that Charon had disappeared."

Poseidon sighed and stepped onto the boat and held out his hand. Athena regarded it suspiciously and he rolled his eyes. "Athena, we've been working together for the last… I'm actually not sure. Do you seriously not trust me?"

Athena smiled sheepishly and took his hand. "Yrros." She said in Atlantian. Poseidon smiled at her more warmly.

"It's alright, dear." The boat started moving and Athena sighed.

"Do you think we'll find Perseus?" She asked curiously. Poseidon looked up at her in surprise and a hint of sadness.

"I'm not sure Athena. I hope so. Besides if anyone can find him it's Ann-" he was cut off when the boat stopped and flung them off. Poseidon grabbed Athena and cushioned the fall so that she would fall on top of him instead of on the ground.

The two gods gasped as the air was ripped from their lungs and Athena sat up hastily, her knife and her shield already in hand. Poseidon rolled over and his trident appeared in his hand. They were at the entrance of Tartarus.

Athena slowly nodded and began to walk around the hole. She let out a scream as something invisible grabbed her and began to tug at her. Poseidon's eyes widened and he lurched forward and grabbed her hand.

The hole or a voice from the hole laughed. "Puny gods, you think you can best me? I am Tartarus itself, and I am rising. And I want revenge."

Athena's terrified eyes met Poseidon and he growled out a spell in Ancient Atlantian. Fire appeared out of nowhere and the voice, Tartarus growled in frustration as Athena was yanked from his invisible hands.

"I serve Void, and I will regain my old power." It/he growled and Athena looked at the pit in terror.

"_Draugnav_!" Poseidon barked and a black swirling vortex appeared. The two gods looked at each other, nodded and jumped.

**Annabeth**

I looked at Poseidon in shock. Nico stiffened next to me, Zoe closed her eyes, Luke groaned, Bianca sighed and Thalia collapsed. Nico caught her and gently placed her in the chair.

"He's risen as well?" I whispered not able to believe it. "So we have to deal with him, Gaea, Kronos _and_ Void!" My voice had risen and Athena sighed.

"I'm sorry Annabeth." She said and she sounded regretful. I shook my head and unconsciously rubbed my upper arm.

"No, mom. It's not your fault. I should have realized something like this would have happened. But seriously, why does Tartarus have to decide to rise now?" I looked at her and she just shook her head.

"I'm not sure." And she sounded frustrated. I pursued my lips and frowned at the map. Athena looked over my shoulder and placed her finger on a spot. "Place some warriors and campers there. It's a weak spot and Void will use that to his advantage."

I stared at it then at Athena. "How in the world did I miss that?" I asked in bewilderment. Poseidon snorted and Athena glared at him.

"Shut up Poseidon. And it's alright-"

"-You're under a lot of stress." Poseidon finished. Athena and I looked at him, my expression full of surprise while Athena was shocked.

"You've listened to me!" She said in surprise. Poseidon blushed and I looked at Zoe in horror. Zoe suddenly started coughing although it sounded more like a laugh to my ears. I glared at her then turned back to Poseidon and Athena who seemed to be having a poke war.

"Mother!" I shouted.

"Father!" A different voice shouted and I looked at Crystal Glacier in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"How did you get in here?" I asked incredulously. Crystal glanced at me sheepishly and pointed behind her. I turned to look at Alpha, Leo and Reyna. "Leo dragged you along, didn't he Reyna?" I sighed. She nodded looking sheepish. I rounded on Alpha. "Who else did you bring?" I asked in a deadly tone. Alpha gulped visibly and pointed behind him. I peered around his shoulder and saw…

"Jason. Really?" For there was our favorite son of Jupiter who was being closely followed by Piper, Silena and Beckendorf, it was then that I decided to groan.

I glanced at Athena and she simply rolled her eyes. I turned to Luke and he made a face. I facepalmed. "I'm surrounded by a bunch of idiots-excluding mom of course." I groaned. Laughter was the only answer I got.

"Mom, Poseidon you should probably stay here. It's getting too risky with going to Earth, what with Gaea, Kronos and Tartarus roaming and rising. Oh wait, Gaea and Kronos already rose. It was risky before hand with both Gaea and Kronos, but Tartarus? I can't lose either of you." I sighed and looked at my mother and the sea god. Poseidon smiled and grabbed my shoulders.

"Don't worry, Annabeth." He said in reassurance. "We won't do anything stupid. Regardless to what Athena thinks," at this he shot her a look, "I am not an idiot."

I smiled warmly at him. "No, but you're reckless." Poseidon scowled and Athena smiled at me. Alpha raised an eyebrow at me and I just smirked back at him.

"Now I can see why Torrent liked you." Alpha said rolling his eyes. Annabeth blinked then smiled. Maybe, just maybe, she would earn the approval of the gruff ex-apprentice (and maybe he would earn some of _her _respect).

**Luke**

I watched Zoe grab a sword and began to hack dummies. Her hair was pulled up in a pony tail and her eyes were like tiny icicles. I grabbed my sword and parried a blow. Zoe's eyes widened in surprise and I smirked at her.

"Want to fight?" I asked cheekily. She glared at me and raised her sword in a perfect arch. I spun around and put Backbiter in a defensive position.

"Are you going to give me a choice?" She asked through gritted teeth and blocked my sword. Sparks flew and a loud clanging happened. I ducked under her slash (it would have decapitated me) and raised an eyebrow.

"Uh no." I jumped over her sword and jabbed at her side. She blocked it.

"I hate you, you know that right?" She said without her usual bite. I smirked at her cheekily.

"Love you too, Zoe." She blushed slightly and spun around, her sword nearly decapitating me.

"Shut up Luke." She muttered and I grinned somewhat cheekily. Then we heard the sound on running footsteps and both of us stopped. Nico appeared and I blinked for a moment in surprise.

"Annabeth," he said and leaned over catching his breath. "Sophia- spy… Percy… just come." Zoe and I exchanged looks before we nodded and ran after the warrior.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter I**

_Annabeth_

It has been three years. Three years since he was captured. Three years since I last saw him, and three years since I started searching for him. I miss him. He was-is- my best friend, my sort-of boyfriend, lover, partner, buddy and soul mate.

Confusing much?

See, we've been alive for over twelve thousand years. We're apprentices to Chaos, well, hewas before me but two-thousand years later I decided to join him (after a little trip to Tartarus and defeating an evil little snake). We both ended up trading eyes, I got his sea green one and he got my stormy grey.

We have a long, complicated, history. We met when we were twelve, him drooling in his sleep (which I thought was rather cute), got into arguments, went on a quest somehow becoming friends and saved Zeus's lightning bolt.

Yes, I said Zeus and lightning bolt. See, we're demigods. Don't believe me? Ah well, I envy you.

After we saved his lightning bolt, an old friend of mine sent a scorpion on him and he survived. A year or so later, I –ahem- followed (read: stalked) him and his baby Cyclops brother (don't ask) to the school he was going to add the time. There the Cyclops (known as Tyson) played with fire, defeating the Canadians and I helped by stabbing one in the stomach. Anyways we to camp and defeated a bunch of hot bull things and after that we sneaked out with Tyson. We traveled to the Sea of Monsters, blew up a friend of ours' ship, nearly lost Tyson, I ended up getting a makeover while he got turned into a guinea pig, and nearly got myself killed by listening to sirens. We rescued the golden fleece, saved our goat friend (who's name is Grover, by the way) and sent our other friend (Clarisse) home with the fleece. Also, a friend of mine became human after being stuck as a tree for six years (yes, you read that right).

After that I ended up falling over a cliff saving two demigods, I ended up holding the sky and he and tree-girl (Thalia) got into an argument, then he went against our camp director's orders and came to rescue Artemis and I. Blah blah blah, he ended up holding up the sky as well when Ares (who had cursed his sword) decided to activate that curse. We got back to camp and only had twin streaks of gray in our hair. Yay!

Then we went into the Labyrinth. Let me tell you from experience: don't go in. It's terrifying (not as much as Tartarus, but a close second). We split up with Grover and Tyson (who had gone with us) and I got to follow a big hairy spider to a mountain full of Telkines and he ended up waking Typhoon up by making the mountain explode. Yippe. He went missing for two weeks making me think he was dead. After we came back, we went back in the Labyrinth with a mortal called Rachel Elizabeth Dare. We got to the center, saw Daedalus (who was actually our swords teacher, Quintes) and found Nico and Pan. We battled an army of evil Krony meanies, and won but Daedalus died.

After that was the Titan war. He read the Great Prophecy. Then we went and battled in Manhatten, I took a knife, I almost died… twice, Thalia got her legs crushed, Luke stopped Kronos by killing himself (cheerful, I know), and I baked a birthday cake for him and we ended up becoming boyfriend and girlfriend.

After that… well… it wasn't too pretty. He went missing for eight months because Hera wanted him for the Great Prophecy, we went on a quest to defeat Gaea, him and I jumped into Tartarus and we had to get to the doors of death to close them, Coach Hedge died to save Jason, Piper and Leo (I still miss that crazy goat) and we went home.

Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter merged creating Camp Half-Jupiter (don't ask, the gods are really not original, I mean, wouldn't Camp Olympus be better?) and a new camper showed up: Jack Firefox. At the time everything was normal, and then we started fighting.

Leo and Reyna got together (which was a shock) and that was when we broke up.

I kissed Jack and he saw us. It was then that my head cleared and I realized what I had done. I tried to plead with him but his eyes had turned cold with betrayal and he shook his head saying "It's over." I never saw him until two thousand years later.

He had changed, oh that was certain. But so had I. He was known by a different name, he was colder toward everyone, I had accepted immortality, he had become the Apprentice to Chaos, I had become in charge of camp, he had become in charge of Vanguard (after Chaos of course).

Jack revealed his identity not long after we found him, but he seemed to grow more wary of us. Of me.

Not that I blamed him.

But even then, he didn't kill or abandon us as I would have expected, although I was certain he seriously considered it. Instead he stayed and went on a quest with Piper, two of his warriors and me_. A very dangerous quest to Tartarus, again_. I thought. During that quest he trusted me again, and amazingly, began to love me. That was what he had said when he had been captured.

Then we slept for ten-thousand years. Yes, you read the right. We looked into a crystal glass thingy and saw Chaos and Camp Half-Jupiter and Void's lair. We went back down to Earth (again) and we split up. Zoe and Luke went to Void's lair to rescue Chaos failed so they came back and helped us beat five evil meanies and got stuck at the Athens and Sparta, Life and Death. He and I took Piper and Silena Daughters of Aphrodite, Jason Son of Jupiter, Sophia Daughter of Hecate, Leo and Beckendorf Sons of Hephestus, Bianca Daughter of Hades and Crystal Daughter of Poseidon. Nico and Thalia were the leaders of the other group. They took Alpha, who was also known as Jonathan Son of Mars (definitely Mars, not Ares), Jezebel Daughter of Hades, Zoe one of the original Hesperiods(1) Luke, Conner and Travis sons of Hermes, Frank son of Mars, Hazel Daughter of Pluto, Calypso, Matthew son of Arete and James son of Dike.

After we split up, He and I realized that we were going down the wrong path but it was too late. A part of Void's army came and we battled. We didn't go down easy though, but in the end Void himself came and threatened to kill me if he didn't surrender himself. He, being the noble idiot that he is, agreed. But not before telling me three little words. "I love you, Annabeth." Okay that was four. Then he had kissed me desperately and I threw my arms around him and whispered back. "I will always look for you Perseus." He smiled at me before turning around and with his head held high, his shoulders back and standing tall, he walked into the enemy. But he glanced back at me and smiled sadly. _Stay safe_, his voice had echoed in my mind before they had taken him.

I don't know what happened. Jason, Piper, Silena and Bianca, told me that I lost it. They told me I had screamed his name, crying out in angst and trying to run to where he had disappeared. Beckendorf, Crystal, Leo and Sophia had told me that it had taken both Jason, Leo and Beckendorf to hold me back and Piper had had to charmspeak me so that I would not hurt myself.

They didn't tell me how long it took to calm me down but they said that I conjured a portal and we somehow ended up on the other path. Actually, we ironically where were Nico and Thalia was-

_"Annnnn-nnnnnaaaaa-bbbbeeettthhhh!"_ A young voice shouted and I spun around and smiled softly as a boy of about ten ran up to me and quickly wrapped his arms around me. He was shorter than average, 3'9 at the most.

"How are you Sam?"

Samuel grinned and I noticed he was waving something around in the air. _Was it some kind of toy? _ "I found a toy horse!" He shouted happily, completely ignoring the actual question.

I chuckled, it seemed like only this ten-year old could bring a genuine smile to my face ever since he left. "Really?" I paused for a moment the added, "did your mom give it to you?"

Samuel nodded almost sadly and I looked at him in confusion then he grinned and shouted out a single. "Yeah!" Then he paused and blushed. "Uh…"

I paused for a moment as well, shook my head and poked his tummy, I never had met his mother before and his eyes were a bit too knowing sometimes. "Are you sure about that?"

"No! No! I mean Yes! But don't p-poke!" He squirmed, I smiled and stopped poking him forgetting about my original trail of thought.

"Will you tell me a story?" He asked suddenly hopeful.

I paused and looked at him in confusion. "Which story?"

Samuel grinned at me. "The one about Torrent!"

I smiled warmly and a bit sadly at him. He really did remind me of the Seaweed Brain. "Hmmm… well… He was known by many names, and Torrent was only his name here." Samuel looked confused and my mismatched eyes got a faraway look to them. "Well, his birth name was Perseus, although he was known as Percy Jackson. When he came to camp-"

"What camp?" Samuel asked curiously. "There isn't a camp here."

I chuckled slightly in remembrance. "It was a camp on Earth."

Sam's eyes widened in awe. "He's been there?"

I smiled at his astonishment. "He lived there. As did I and a lot of others. Like Nico and Luke and Zoe and Jason and Piper. Or Reyna and Leo and Beckendorf. Even Bianca lived there for a week or two after she joined the hunters but before she died." His mouth opened. "Anyways, he was twelve-"

"You mean he was that young?" He half shouted and I chuckled wondering why boy was so shocked.

"Oh yes, Percy was young and a complete half-wit. Anyways, when he was twelve when he went to camp, he defeated the Minotaur. It is a monster, although mortals couldn't see them." I smiled fondly remembering how he used to drool in his sleep. "Stupid brave stubborn Seaweed Brain." I chuckled.

"You just insulted one of the most powerful beings in existence." Sam bluntly informed me, chocolate brown eyes widening in awe.

I paused and thought over what I just said. "No," I said smiling at him cheerfully. "I complimented and insulted him." Samuel blinked in confusion. "Compliment means that someone is telling the other person that he is doing a good job."

Sam opened his mouth then closed it then he grinned, showing all his teeth. I ruffled his medium length black hair that was so much like Percy's. Sometimes Sam and the Seaweed Brain were so alike that it wouldn't surprise me if he was the apprentice's son. The thought brought a frown to my face and Sam looked at me in confusion.

"Don't be sad Annabeth. You'll find him!" He wrapped his skinny arms around my neck and I smiled slightly.

_Nah… he wouldn't have a son… probably…_

I forced myself to stop thinking about that stuff (because it probably wasn't true) and looked up. I saw Zoe.

**Zoe**

I chuckled at the sight of Annabeth and Sam and the boy grinned showing his teeth. At the same time Annabeth coincidentally looked up and saw me. I smiled and walked over to her.

Sam looked at me and grinned. He squirmed and Annabeth let him go and he ran over to me and hugged me. "Did you _really _live on Earth?" He immediately asked.

I paused and stared at him then raised an eyebrow at Annabeth who smiled innocently. "As a matter of fact, I did."

Sam let out a shout of victory and I thought of Percy, when I had first met him of course. He really was an idiot when he was fourteen. "Thanks Lilianna!" He kissed my cheek then ran away. I blinked and Annabeth stifled a giggle.

"You are not to tell Luke of this." I said blushing slightly.

Annabeth facepalmed. "Who said I would?" She asked tilting her head to one side.

"Because… because… You… Urg!" I glared at her and she smiled sadly. I shook my head and wrapped my arm around her shoulders in a sisterly gesture. "Come on, you," I said warmly. "Aren't you hungry?"

Annabeth paused then nodded hesitantly.

~…~

I watched as Annabeth let out a weary sigh and dropped her head on her hands. Her shoulders shook and with a start I realized she was crying. _She thinks no one is here_. I thought. Cautiously I made my way over to her and knelt down.

"Annabeth?" I asked she looked up and her eyes widened.

"Z-Zoe! Why are you h-here?" She exclaimed in shock. I felt sympathy rise for her_. It must be hard. To know that may or may not be alive and even if he is then he could be… well… being tortured… _I shuddered at the thought and force myself to look at Annabeth.

"I'm sorry I followed you Annabeth," I said. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright..." I paused and realized how wrong that sounded but Annabeth let out a wet laugh.

"It's okay, plus it's nice to know that you care." She said with a small smile. I smiled back at her and ruffled her curly hair. She scowled and I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Come on. I'm sure Percy wouldn't want to see you like this." Annabeth looked at me with a lost puppy expression and I wanted to kick myself. I held out my hand and she took it with a small smile.

"Thank you Zoe."

I smiled at her, again. Stupid son of Hermes making me go all soft... _She's strong_. "We'll find him Annabeth. I know we will."

~...~

**Thalia**

I glared at _it_. "Why don't you _not_die already?" _It_stayed the same and I snarled as I felt Nico's death-y presence behind me.

"Thals? Are you okay?" The Primordial asked cautiously. "And why does it look like you're going to murder something? Or someone?" I glared at Nico and he held his hands up in a 'I'm not guilty' gesture.

"This is my most deadly enemy." I huffed and glared at the… _terrifying_ thing. "And it won't stay alive!"

Nico blinked and looked over my shoulder and at the ground. "Your most deadly enemy that won't stay alive is a wilting plant?" He asked in surprise and confusion. Ink black eyes met mine in confusion and I rolled mine.

I decided to glare at him (which I did). "It won't stay alive!" I snarled again this time literately stomping my foot. Electricity ran along the ground and Nico yelped as he received a tiny shock. The plant wilted even more and I glared at it.

"You're killing a plant? And you're mad about it? And it won't stay alive?" Nico said in obvious confusion. "No offense Thals but if you want to keep a plant from dying you need to like… not zap it."

I glared at him and conjured a lightning bolt. Needless to say, it hit him in the stomach.

Nico glared at me. "_Really,_ Thalia? Real mature."

I crossed my arms and gave him my best glare. Nico didn't even look scared, and you do not look at least mildly frightened at the glare of Thalia Grace. "You, Shadow Nicolas Brian di Angelo, will fix the plant."

Nico blinked. "Yes, _Mom_." He said without thinking and I raised an eyebrow. He shrugged and knelt down by the plant and closed his eyes. In spite of my anger I knelt down next to him and watched as the plant began to un-wilt. Its stem went up and I blinked. His eyes opened I noticed that they were swirling with gold_. I wonder why…?_ He smiled, his black eyes mixing in with the streaks of gold. "Impressed, milady?" He added the last part mockingly.

I punched him. "Shut up Death Breath."

I listened to his warm chuckle and I thought about how lucky I was to have him, even if only as a friend.

~...~

**Percy**

Pain. That was all my world was now. I couldn't remember anything at all; everything was just a blur in the pain. I don't know how long I was in this hole that _it_called Abyss. All I knew was the pain.

And here he comes again... his face loomed above mine and he laughed sickeningly. "So, the great hero has become nothing more than a shell. And you did this for love, the very thing that you feared the most." He spat in my face but I didn't care. I was used to this. And I wanted to know what he knew about myself. _What is love?_

He smirked again and grabbed my matted hair. "Do you know who I am, Perseus?"

I glared at him. He kept on calling me that, but I didn't know if it was my name. My real one anyway, although it sounded familiar. _I will always look for you Perseus!_

I snarled but a name went into my mind. "Void?"

Void smiled evilly. "Good, Son of Poseidon, Apprentice to Chaos. This will make this even more enjoyable."

I blinked then the pain came.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter III_

**Annabeth**

"Annabeth?"

The voice was timid, scared and I looked up at him from the map that I was (attempting) to read. I would never understand how Percy could read the things; they kept changing every five seconds! Chocolate brown eyes met mine and I smiled reassuringly at him. "What is it?"

"…has it ever seemed like you've never met your father? I mean, you know all about him but you've never really… met him?"

I glanced at him in surprise and smiled slightly. I gestured to the chair next to me which made him smile slightly before he took it, his legs hanging over the side somewhat. "Sometimes, I suppose." I began, "In fact, when I was younger I ran away from my dad. But now I know that he loved me, even if it seemed like he didn't. Why do you ask Sam?"

Sam looked at me in surprise and I raised an eyebrow. He bit his lip and lowered his eyes to the map. "You do know you have to concentrate on the location you want to look at, right?" He asked and I blinked.

"Uh…"

Sam rolled his eyes good naturedly and I blushed_. I'm supposed to be a Daughter of Athena_! He gave me a full on, only teeth grin and gently rested finger on the swirling and chaotic map. It stilled and I glanced at where he was pointing.

"Where's Xerxes?" I asked in surprise. Sam grinned slightly.

"A planet," he said cheerfully. "Nico said that he had a friend that lived there once."

I chuckled slightly. "Well, Aether was right. I don't know everything."

Sam looked confused. "The deity?" He asked tilting his head and blinking. I nodded and he grinned.

"Annabeth!" The door slammed open and I looked up at Alpha in surprise, for a moment forgetting about my severe dislike for the ex-apprentice. "Got a lead," he said, breathing heavily.

My eyes widened and I lifted Sam up onto the table. "Stay," I ordered and patted the boy on his head. "Uh… play with the map." I kissed him on the head by instinct and followed Alpha out, not noticing the stunned looks I got from both boys.

~…~

"Sophia!" I said in surprise staring at the auburn head. Sophia looked up and smiled. Her hair was no longer down to her waist but shoulder length and she had a scar over her left eye.

"Hello." She said softly. "How're you Annabeth?" I looked at her suspiciously; she had betrayed us in the battle along with Matthew and James.

"What are you doing here?" I asked suspiciously, and then I turned to Alpha. "And why didn't _you_ lock her up?"

Alpha held up his hands. "Listen to her story, _Wise Girl_." He said sarcastically, and I snarled at him but held myself back otherwise. I didn't like him much, but Percy trusted him and I trusted Percy, so unfortunately I had to trust Alpha… and I did to some extinct. I just didn't with my life, or my secrets. That was Percy himself.

"Shut up, Stone Brain." I retorted.

"What does a Stone Brain even _mean_?" Alpha snorted.

"Easy, _you_." I smirked at him, and crossed my arms.

"Alright you two," Nico said, sounding amused and I started, I hadn't even noticed that he was there. "I would prefer if you didn't kill each other. It would make the balance go out of whack and I hate doing paperwork and reporting to the fates." He arched an eyebrow. "So, can you two call a temporary truce?"

Alpha and I glanced at each other, then at Nico, and then at Sophia. "For Percy." I finally agreed grudgingly.

"I suppose I can pull some strings for Torrent…" Alpha sighed. Nico grinned.

"Right," I said slightly disgruntled, "Sophia, tell me everything and if I find out that you're lying…" I let my threat hang.

Sophia smiled in relief. "After the battle, Void took Percy to Ashguard. He doesn't let any of us lower ranks see him, although I managed to check up on him every now and then." She looked down at her hands and Annabeth paled. "He… he was okay at first… but then the more time he spent in there…" she shook her head. "The worst he got. The last time I checked up on him, I nearly got caught but he didn't seem to respond to the food or water I gave him... I couldn't stay there any longer. I escaped. I nearly got caught though…" She trailed off sadly.

"Gods." I whispered, something rising in me, fear. That was what it was. "He sounds…"

"Bad?" Nico offered.

"Terrible?" Thalia offered, who I just noticed (I really was out of it today).

"On the brink of insanity?" Alpha leaned against the door, his brow furrowed and with a start I realized he had let his hood down, for once.

"Thanks guys, that what I really needed to reassure me." I drily stated.

"I try." Alpha smirked.

"Yes, now shut up and let me think." I muttered in annoyance. Nico whistled softly and I glared at him. "Where's that map?" I asked, the gears turning in my head already. "I told Sam to keep it for me…"

"Did you call me?" A cheerful voice asked and the four of us jumped and stared at the ten year old. Sam was grinning and holding the map behind his back, tilting his head curiously. I blinked and exchanged looks with Thalia.

"Actually, yes. Can I have the map?" I asked, smiling at him. He blinked then his grin widened. "Thanks Sam." I smiled at him and he held out the hand that was clenching the map. I took it from him and gently spread it out on the table. Sam sat on a chair with his knees tucked underneath him. Alpha and Sophia glanced at me but I shook my head and they both shrugged. Nico smiled at Sam who grinned back.

Alpha frowned at the map, and it focused on a place. _Ashguard_. Little tiny dots moved around, it was red and it seemed like, well, chaos. "The basic surroundings." He muttered, grimly. "Not pretty there."

"What is it like?" Nico asked as he frowned slightly. Sam tilted his head at the map.

"The complete opposite of what it is here." Alpha said, grimly. I sighed, and looked at Sophia who nodded, almost gloomily. I frowned and narrowed my eyes at a spot.

Void's Lair.

With a gasp I wrenched my eyes away from the spot and looked at Alpha. He nodded. "That's where he'll be." I stated, not sadly but firmly.

"We need to go." He said. I nodded and straightened up.

"Yes. Thalia, Nico you're both going with me." I turned to the huntress and warrior, both of whom nodded, Nico adding a salute. "Alpha… even though I don't like you you'll be useful." Alpha smirked at me and I rolled my eyes. "That's not a compliment. You're only an asset." Alpha frowned. "We also need Bianca, Zoe, Luke, Jason and… Leo." Nico looked surprised but he was nodding as if he understood.

"Fire and air, an ex-apprentice, a huntress, someone who can control death, someone who can control fear, someone who can control peace and time and someone who can control night and sorrow. Strong defense and strong offense." Nico noted and I smirked slightly.

"I _am_ the Daughter of Athena." I said somewhat smugly then I turned to Sophia. "You're coming as well," I frowned in displeasure at this but she only nodded. Turning to Nico, I raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing just standing there? We leave in thirty."

Nico grinned, patted Sam on the head and left.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter_ _IV_

**Percy**

**Warning**: _Major torture, slight language. (And this is why I didn't want to write whump -_-. Ah well, hope I don't scare you away with my sadistic mind –although this proves that my strength is whump.)_

Who am I? Where was I from? What is my name? Who is this person? What is this place? I know I'm on the brink of insanity, but at the same time, I'm not. Why is everything so dark? Everything is so thin; I know I'm trending on my last hope. Will someone come save me? What the hell is going on? All that I feel is pain now. Pain and bleakness and... Something else. I don't know that emotion. What are emotions? Oh yeah, they make somebody human, but what is a human? Am I human myself? Or am I a monster? Maybe that's why I'm being… tortured. The only kind person got hurt because of me. I'm so lost… where am I?

Void glared at me as my lifeless eyes stared ahead blankly. He gave me enough food to keep me alive, sometimes I didn't eat it, but then his servants forced the food down into me. Sometimes it came right back up. I knew I was filthy, but why wouldn't I be? I've been in this hellhole for what seemed like ages, and I knew that that was a very long time. I wasn't sure how I knew, I just did.

"Useless," I heard him snarl as I got kicked in the gut. I let out a gasp of pain and I dropped to my hands, my arms not having the strength to hold me up any longer. "Just leave him here to rot. I can't believe that Chaos thought that he is the Last Hope. I bet it's that Chase girl, or maybe…" I couldn't hear what the being said, not that I really cared. Carefully I pushed myself up, some kind ofsparkflyingup insideof me, or maybe just sheer stubborn will.

"_You're_ _a warrior_, _not_ _a hero_."

_Well_, I thought to myself in wry amusement. _I may be no warrior, and definitely no hero, but I'm stubborn._

"You'll never get away with this." I rasped, wincing internally as my throat scratched horribly. Void spun around and I was sure he looked surprised.

"So, you _do_ have some fight left in you, after all." The being said, almost smugly, I tried to glare at him but knew it had failed spectacularly. "Hmmm… this'll be more fun knowing that I haven't completely broken you yet."

Something about that sentence sent alarm bells ringing in my head.

"W-What?" I asked, annoyed at the stutter. Void lips twitched and he slowly began to smirk. I gulped as he crossed the room and pulled something out.

A knife.

I watched in morbid horror as Void slowly began to smirk. "This, my old friend…" I nearly snarled at him, "…is going to take that tiny, little, flame in your warrior mind. Chaos certainly trained his dog well."

Something about that sentence pissed me off.

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" I growled and Void's sadistic smile slowly widened. Somewhere in my mind's eye I could see someone in a… car? I noticed curly blond hair. Long curly hair.

"Ah… thislittle thing was just forged in the fires of Tartarus and made with the coldest iron that there is in Hades."

My mouth opened slightly, something about that weapon made me want to shy away. "Uh…" He looked a bit like a snake, or a rat.

But don't snakes eat rats?

"That's alright. You'll realize its effects anyways." Void said then knelt down by me so that he was at eyelevel. My head was forced back, and I let out a cry of pain. Void placed the blade under my chin and instantly I felt like I had just gotten a bad case of frostbite, and then maybe freezer burn. Or maybe an oven. Or possibly both. "Just imagine the pain that will happen once this blade digs into your skin…"

Terror blinded me and I felt myself squirm, desperately trying to get away. Nothing happened and I felt someone knock me in the head.

"Knotty, knotty little warrior." Void said with a gleeful pleasure. I gagged but nothing came up. "That won't work. You're too weak to escape anyway. But don't worry, when Ms. Chase gets here I might let her stay with you for a while. Perhaps I'll let my little friends have some… _fun_ with her as well."

A different emotion rose up. Ice cold fury, and maybe a little bit of terror, but not for myself. For whoever this Ms. Chase was, I had a feeling she was important to me.

"Don't," I snarled, "you _dare_ touch her."

Void slowly began to smirk even more terribly so. "Ah, so that little taunt still works, even now." He said gleefully. "I'll remember that… _Perseus_."

I snarled and tried to punch him. The knife dug into my skin. I screamed.

"Wait. Put him on the wheel." I heard Void's voice say coldly. I was being hauled, painfully and something connected to my arms and ankles. Something cold, and metal.

Someone clucked his tongue, Void probably. "You just have to make this more painful." He sighed, almost sadly. Suddenly, it felt like my bones were plunging into icy flames and I felt myself screaming. It first began at the top of my wrist, then up my shoulder, across my chest, down to my stomach, my face, my legs. Everything was engulfed in flames, I couldn't see anything and I felt blinded. Suddenly it all stopped.

"That's enough," I heard Void, his voice drifting faintly across my ears. My eyes stared unseeingly ahead, and I wondered if I had gone blind. But then I noticed that there was a door, and surprisingly two young guards were looking at me in pity. "Unchain him."

I felt myself being dropped to the ground and someone stepped over me. Looking up, I noticed that the man (he was definitely a man, no woman could ever look that ugly) looked rather fat and figured that he was a favorite of Void. The doors slammed shut and I groaned, feeling the tears escape my eyes.

"Here, drink this." A soft voice said, carefully supporting me. I looked up at the slightly blurry face of the guard. I noticed that he held a cup to my lips and I opened them. Water tricked into my mouth and I swallowed it thirstily. It wasn't enough to quench my thirst, but it helped.

"Why…?" I whispered, unable to say more.

"Why am I doing this?" The boy said (he couldn't have been older then fourteen). "Because none of us like Void. You are the Last Hope, and you are our true leader." I coughed slightly and the boy raised a cup to my lips again. I drank more greedily from it.

"Everyone… hurt… help." I whispered, realizing that it wasn't as harsh on my throat.

"Everyone gets hurt when they help you?" The boy guessed, I nodded slightly, afraid to risk more movement. "You're not a bad person, Torrent. Sure, a lot of bad stuff happens to you, but we trust you. And it's part of your destiny, as the Last Hope."

I tried to laugh but my ribs just ached worst. "I have no destiny," I rasped, slightly louder. "Just as I have no identity."

That didn't help my voice as I winced. "You _do_ have an identity," the boy said, sadly, but firmly. "You just can't see it now."

I looked at him and something rekindled inside of me, maybe that little spark, but it wasn't a spark, it was a tiny flame now. "I'll… try everything… to save your country. If… I get… free." I whispered, my voice fading quickly. The boy smiled and suddenly the doors slammed open.

"I _knew_ I couldn't trust you!" Void snarled and he glared at the boy. The boy's eyes widened and he cowered slightly. My arm flung out and I shoved him behind me with a strength that I had just found, although I could feel myself trembling slightly, even if I couldn't stand up. Suddenly a bright flash of light and tried to spin around, but then gasped as I saw sightless green eyes stare at nothing. Bile rose in my throat but I forced it back down, knowing that I might not get any water for a while. "What did he say!?" Void asked, yanking my head back. I let out a cry of pain and winced as my throat hurt, and my ribs screamed. "Tell me, _now_!"

Something about his voice frightened me, but at the same time made me angered. That tiny flame grew stronger, fueling on the oxygen around me, or in this case, Void. "He said nothing," I whispered but my hate filled gaze rested on him. "He only gave me water."

Void looked even angrier. "An act of kindness can say many things words cannot." He whispered. I internally smirked_, you got that _damn_ right_! "Knock him out, and don't give him any food for three days."

I felt something hit my neck and I passed out. But not before thinking: _Hurry, please!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter V_

**Annabeth**

_Hurry, please!_

The mental cry echoed in my mind and I jumped. Glancing around I noticed various expressions of worry, disbelief, surprise, concern and shock on my comrads' faces.

"A mental cry," Alpha whispered, looking severely shaken. "Torrent's mental cry."

I twisted the wheel and dodged a dust ball and glanced at the towering fortress. "Why haven't we heard one before?" I asked cautiously, swerving back onto the road that was broken down and probably gone. The place was probably very beautiful once, with lush meadows and beautiful lakes. Now it only looked like a lot of sand. Even Poseidon and Percy would be tired of it.

"I'm not sure, maybe we couldn't before now, or we were out of range." Alpha confessed, gripping the door. "When did your licence expire?"

I shot him a dirty look. "Oh, shut up." I grunted. "And what do you mean?"

"What? Your licence expiring or mental cries?" He muttered dryly. I took my eyes off the road for a moment to glare at him and he smirked.

"Oh, will you _two give it a break_?" Bianca suddenly snapped. "I swear, you're worst then cats and dogs." The breaks slammed and everyone yelped as the car jumped onto the two front wheels and Annabeth swerved to the side.

Everyone turned to look at the Daughter of Athena who just pointed and all mouths opened in shock.

"_Ah_." Nico muttered, "that was quick."

"It just… it just appeared there!" Annabeth cried, a tad hysterically. "It was miles away!" She added, "How is it just… there? It should be scientifically impossible!" She added then glanced at the two children of Hades. She took a deep breath then raised an eyebrow. "Do you two know?"

Nico frowned slightly and Bianca bit her lip. "Maybe," the earlier said. "It _is_ Ashgaurd, and Void rules over it, and he seems to like havoc, to much that good for him." Nico mumbled, now frowning. "We'll have to anchor the car to the fortress otherwise it'll just disappear again."

"But how will we do that?" Leo asked in obvious confusion. I smiled in victory.

"Well…" Nico said then turned to Alpha. "Do you know how to anchor this?"

Alpha sighed. "Obviously." He grumbled, then held up his hand and a silvery light appeared, trailing from the car to the building. Nico blinked in surprise and I shrugged, lightly stepping out of the car. "Let's go get him." I said cheerfully.

~…~

I glared at the ground, picking myself up carefully and glancing around. "Well…" I muttered to myself. "That went _wonderfully_."

I explained to them what the plan was and was met with objections almost instantly. "No way!" Nico shouted, glaring at me.

"You'll get killed." Alpha warned, not really caring.

"Percy'll kill us!" Thalia said, shaking her fist at me.

"Slowly, painfully, like meat, if he can." Leo added, aiding her.

"That is painful." Zoe and Luke muttered in unison.

"Oh shut up, it's not going to stop me. And you'll be able to get us out easier." I snapped, and pulled out my knife. "Any more objections?" I added dangerously, glancing at Reyna, Bianca and Jason, all three stayed quiet. "Good."

~...~

I was thrown into the cell and I gasped slightly, the force of it making me slightly winded. I stood up and instantly noticed the blood on the ground and gulped slightly. "This is part of the plan… your plan…" I muttered to myself, then looked up and noticed a mass of blood and… hair. I gasped slightly and ran over to the person and knelt by (s)he. "Are you alright?" I whispered, _Stupid! Of course it isn't! _I scolded myself. Green and grey eyes blinked open and met mine, confusion layering them. "_Percy…_" I whispered. Percy flinched and I shook my head. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

"know…?" The voice was soft, so soft that I could barely hear him and very rough.

"Do I know you?" I guessed, Percy nodded slightly before he made a painful sounding cough. I slid the canteen of water off of my shoulder and placed it to his lips. "Yes, I'm your friend." I answered, slightly delayed. His different colored eyes flashed to mine gratefully and he took a sip. I smiled slightly and he weakly returned it.

"Why…come…here?" His voice was a bit better, slightly stronger and I smiled in mild relief, he would recover, physically at least, I wasn't sure about his mental state.

"We're here to rescue you." I whispered, glancing around for spying people. "I can't say anymore, Seaweed Brain, I'm sorry." Percy nodded slightly and I took the canteen back. He frowned slightly, so I explained, "I don't want you to get sick." Percy's eyes seemed to light in understanding, but he nodded and raised himself up onto his knees.

"Thanks…" he rasped, "most I've had."

I smiled, at least he seemed sane. "Don't talk, it'll just make your throat hurt worst." Percy nodded and I stood up. "Luke and Alpha will be here in a few minutes. Do you think you can stand?" Percy's eyes hardened with determination and he nodded.

"Try."

I smiled in relief and pulled out my knife and a few pieces of bread. "This is all I've got, although there's some cold soup in the car."I explained and watched as Percy's eyes lit up and handed it to him. "Careful," I added in warning, "you shouldn't even be having solids." The warning went unheeded when he took it and gobbled it down. I glanced up and he stood, holding the wall for support.

I got a full look of him then. Covered in cuts, dirt and blood, his left wrist definitely sprained, and a cut over his left eye that I knew was infected. Anger surged through me but I chomped down on it, shoving it back into the tiny part of my mind to deal with later (when I could channel it into something better). The door exploded and Percy and I glanced up in surprise.

"Could you be any _less _noticeable?" I snapped. Alpha smirked at me but then he looked at Percy in concern.

"Wow, you look horrible." I glared at him and Alpha shrugged and Percy smiled slightly. I didn't notice the confusion clouding his eyes as Luke came around the corner looking curious.

"Can you two not argue for ten minutes?" He muttered in exasperation before looking up and noticing Percy. His expression filled with relief and he smiled widely. "Let's get to the car." I wrapped Percy's arm around my shoulder and we limped out of the dungeon.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter VI_

**Annabeth**

_Three Months later…_

I glanced at Percy and sighed, stretching wearily in my seat. It had been three months since the rescue mission, and since then, it had seemed like they had been taking one step forward and two steps back with the apprentice.

The warrior was currently sitting by the window, looking out, and his was gaze thoughtful. His sea green and gray eyes were startling clear, it was a good day for him, then. "Annabeth?" He called out; his voice had been mostly healed from the time he had spent in Void, but if he talked too much or too loud his throat would bother him.

I looked away from the book (_From Age to Age) _and tilted my head at Percy, who was looking out the window with a look of longing. "Percy?"

The warrior glanced over his shoulder and smiled sadly. "I can feel the ocean." He said quietly. My eyes widened and he took that as a bad sign. "I'm not supposed to?" He asked, I hastily dog tailed my book and closed it before standing up and placing it carefully on the comfortable seat and walked over to him.

"No," I said gently, taking his hands in mine. His sea green eyes were so clear, like he remembered himself. I choked back a sob; it wasn't fair that the kindest person I knew was like this. Percy didn't deserve this, he deserved so much more. "No, Percy." I murmured. "I want you to feel the ocean. It means that you're…"

"…remembering?" He finished when I trailed off. I smiled at him and nodded, and he returned it. "It feels… strong. Like I'm about to be swept from my feet and taken away," he said softly. "But at the same time, it feels like it's protecting me. It feels… safe and gentle, pushing you up and keeping you from drowning. But at the same time it seems like I'm falling into an undertow and I can't get out of it."

I smiled slightly and looked outside. The sun was out and it was one of the first warm days we've had since the winter. I paused and glanced at him, who was watching me with curiosity and I looked out the window thoughtfully, my gaze landing on the pedestrians chattering happily with one another. They knew, we tried to keep Percy's condition a secret, so naturally everyone knew about it.

"…Wise Girl? What's with the look?" Percy's wary voice drifted across my ears as I turned to look at him and… smirked. His eyes widened.

"Nothing, just stay here and don't move an inch." I commanded and marched over to the door, waving over my shoulder and just catching Percy's open mouth. I bit back a laugh and headed toward the council room.

_He's having a good day, _I said to myself. _And we need to get out, I know I'm getting stir crazy and he needs to spend some time outdoors. It isn't good for him. _A voice that sounded suspiciously like Alpha's told her that she was just being a worrywart. She shoved it brutally to the back of her mind and opened the doors to the council room.

Alpha and Nico were there, Alpha scowled at me while Nico looked up in surprise and raised an eyebrow. "He's having a good day." Nico said, and it wasn't a question, he stated it. I nodded anyways.

"Yes." I replied, leaning on the wall and tucked my right foot behind my left. "He is having a good day." I agreed. "It's such a lovely day, isn't it?" I added airily. Alpha's eyebrows furrowed and he looked at me suspiciously while Nico's eyebrows shot up.

"It is…" the ex apprentice said his voice soft, hiding the suspicion that was clear in his eyes. I smiled at him innocently.

"It would be such a nice day to take a walk…" I continued on with a sigh. Nico's eyes lit with amusement as Alpha's eyes narrowed in realization.

"No."

"You haven't even heard what I suggested!" I complained, glaring at him. Alpha smirked and pointed at me, his expression now triumphant.

"You admitted that you're planning something!" He said happily, I rolled my eyes. "What _are_ you planning?" He added a wary hint in his eyes. I smirked.

"She's going to take Percy out." Nico said, looking at the table and not really looking interested. "Yeah, you can go." He added and I gaped at the son of Hades. _How does he know that? _I wondered, slightly annoyed.

"Shadow's the guardian of destiny and fate," Alpha said, as if he had read my mind, which was very likely. "He knows stuff like this." Nico nodded absentmindedly, and then he looked up, his expression startled.

"Wait, what did I just agree to?"

I chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, shaking my head with a warm smile. "Nothing dangerous. Just a fact, see you later." I waved over my shoulder as I strode purposely for the door and opened it.

**Percy**

The door opened and in stormed Annabeth, her curly blond hair flying around her like a golden halo. I jumped in surprise and she smiled slightly before she walked over to the chest were we kept the cloaks (she never said what for) and pulled out a silver one trimmed with green and held it out to me. I took it in confusion and donned it, watching as she pulled out a brown cape. She turned to me and smiled slightly before walking over and adjusting the cloak so that it wasn't crocked before she took my hand and led me out the stairs.

I was becoming steadily more confused. "Annabeth? What- where are we going?" I asked finally and she grinned, her eyes shining with excitement and I felt my spirits lift. She wrapped her arm around mine and patted my hand and her excitement was soon contagious.

"We're going outside!" she said happily, brown cape billowing out. I gaped at her.

"What? But I thought that we- I wasn't allowed." I was confused; she rolled her eyes and ruffled my hair.

"No, that's not true, you are. Would you like your hood up?" She added and I blinked, confused by the abrupt change of the subject before I shook my head.

"No," I answered softly, confused by the sudden urge to place it up (I figured that it was muscle memory, Nico had told me that I used to keep my face covered). "Not this time."

Annabeth looked surprised, and then she smiled slightly. "You're remembering?" It was a question, not a statement. I shook my head sadly, feeling a flash of frustration because I _didn't _remember.

"Not a thing." Annabeth nodded, her grey eyes flashing with an unknown emotion before she began to gently guide me to the let out a soft sigh, and shook her head.

"You will, eventually." She murmured soothingly.

"Yes, but _when, _Wise Girl?" I said in frustration, running my free hand through my hair. "One week from now? Or in one year or ten years, or even never?" Annabeth looked at me and I sighed, "Sorry," I apologized. "That was uncalled for."

She shook her head, her lips twitching slightly. "No, no, it's alright. You're frustrated, I know." Her nostrils flared. I coughed slightly and looked away, feeling embarrassed.


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter VII_

**Percy**

"Ice Cream?" I asked in amusement, watching wanly as Annabeth happily munched on an ice cream cone, the ice cream was chocolate. "Aren't you a little old for ice cream, Wise Girl?" She waved a hand in front of me threateningly, and then offered a bite of her chocolate ice cream. I eyed it warily for a moment, before taking a taste from it, and instantly I regretted not getting a vanilla cone for myself.

"You're never too old for an ice cream cone!" She said happily, taking her chocolate cone back and I stared at it longingly. "Besides, it was on your tab." She added, grinning at me cheekily. I rolled my eyes, secretly amused at her childish antics.

"Now, I wish I had gotten myself a vanilla." I grumbled, rather sardonically. Annabeth grinned and hugged me, and I blushed slightly. Then she paused and frowned, her expression thoughtful.

"Vanilla doesn't taste right." I glared at her, and she rolled her eyes. "It's true; I'll never understand why you like it. It's so… bland."

I huffed, and a bang blew out of my face, but before I could reply a kid of about ten came running over, yelling out "AUNTY ANNABETH!" and then he tripped over his feet. I darted forward, muscle memory working instinctively, and caught him, my arms wrapping around his chest so that he wouldn't fall on his face.

"Whoa, there," I warned half jokingly, half seriously, pulling him up. "We don't want you to fall and hurt yourself, do we not?" I glanced at Annabeth, who nodded, her expression concerned and amused.

"Sam," she said in amusement. The boy looked up with a grin and I froze as I stared at those sparkling brown eyes, so hauntingly familiar to Bianca's. …_Staring at her in shock when I realized she was not dead…_ "Honestly, you've got two left feet; can't you at least try to stay on them?" Annabeth fretted, patting him everywhere.

"Sorry, Aunty Annabeth, but when I saw you I couldn't help myself." He stated sheepishly, but not exactly apologetically, the gleam in his brown eyes told otherwise. _...complaining to her about the latest batch of possibilities… _"Thank you, by the way." The boy –Sam- added, turning to me. …_"Be polite Torrent!"… _"For catching me, before I fell."

I waved him off, trying to figure out how I knew him. "That's alright," I replied with a smile. "Just be more careful next time." Sam's eyes lit up. _…Her eyes lit up with laughter..._

"I will be." Sam stated, promising it. _…her eyes closed and she rested her chin underneath his… _"I'm Sam, by the way. Who are you?"

I shoved the memories to the back of my mind, brutally. "I'm Percy," I confessed and Sam's eyes widened with surprise.

"The Forgotten Warrior?" He asked, and the name triggered a memory. …_"Good luck, Percy Jackson, Torrent and Forgotten Warrior…" _ I shook my head slightly to myself, and Sam looked disappointed.

"Yeah, I've been called that a few times." I responded. Sam looked confused, but then his expression cleared up and he grinned brightly, although he seemed to perk up, his expression strangely happy and excited. I smiled and ruffled his hair instinctively, he just seemed to be so familiar, like I knew him and those brown eyes, I have seen them before. I know I have. Sam grinned, a big trouble making grin that looked eerily familiar. I heard Annabeth gasp and we both looked up, I tilted my head in concern, but she shook her head, her expression becoming strangely bright, surprised but relieved. I blinked. "Are you alright, Wise Girl?" I asked in concern. She shook her head, laughing and I felt my eyes widen in horror.

"I'm fine," she said, still grinning. Sam and I looked at each other, then at her, and I was convinced she had lost her marbles. "I just realized something." She added, and I rolled my eyes, although I couldn't stop the slight smile from appearing. She grinned and held out her hand and I took it. "Come on, Seaweed Brain," she chuckled, gray eyes sparkling. "Thanks, Sam," she added and inclined her head to the boy. Sam looked confused, but then she wrapped her arm around mine and tugged me away. I sighed and waved over my shoulder, and heard Sam laugh.

_…she laughed joyously, her hand tracing the little baby that she held in her arms, and she looked up, meeting my eyes with dancing chocolate brown ones. "Say hello to your son, Perseus…"_

**Annabeth**

"Whoa, there." Percy said half jokingly and half seriously, his eyes concerned but laughing. "We don't want you to fall and hurt yourself…" He looked at me and I nodded, walking over to the two of them, and I was struck by how alike they were.

I shook the idea out of my head and looked at Sam in amusement. "Sam…" I went on, telling him how he had two left feet and I fretted over him like a mother hen. Percy looked strangely out of it, not like when he had been delirious or when he was gazing over the streets or out the fields hopelessly, but as if there was something coming back, like a memory.

"…for catching me, before I fell." Sam finished, and Percy waved him off, smiling slightly, a strange emotion in his eyes and I frowned, trying to put my finger on it. Percy said something, probably along the lines of 'that's alright.' Sam also added something, his mouth moving but not making any sound.

"I'm Percy." Percy stated, Sam's eyes widened with a strange emotion (fear, awe or… hope?) and he asked something. Percy looked thoughtful, then he shook his head slightly and Sam looked disappointed. "Yeah, I've been called that." Percy ruffled his hair, and Sam grinned, a bright, mischievous grin, and it clicked. A strange set of emotions hit me, sorrow, surprise, anger and… joy, strangely enough. I let out a tiny gasp and Percy looked up, his eyes concerned. "Are you alright, Wise Girl?"

I shook my head, laughing and Percy's eyes widened with horror. "I'm fine," I said and he only looked more wary. "I just realized something." I watched as Percy raised an eyebrow and I held out my hand. He looked at it and took it, and I helped him stand. "Come on, Seaweed Brain." I said entwining my arm around his. "Thanks, Sam," I added, bowing my head slightly to him, a habit I had picked up from Nico, then I dragged Percy away, waving over my shoulder.


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter VIII_

**Annabeth**

_There she is_. I thought, watching as Bianca roughly polished the sword, her eyes narrowed with concentration. I winced, knowing that this would be a huge invasion of her privacy but what can I say? She turned around, humming peacefully then she looked up and her expression was startled for a moment, then it cleared and she smiled warmly at me. "Annabeth! Is there anything you need help with?"

I bit my lip and nodded. "I… uh… yeah, there is actually." Bianca's expression became curious and I swallowed. _No going back now, Annabeth. Brilliant. _"Did Percy ever have a son? That may or may not have gone missing?" I blurted out. Bianca looked up, her eyes wide and I winced. _Not the best way to put it. Now she's going to think you're crazy as well._

"I… how did you find out?" Bianca whispered, her expression strangely broken and I came to a full stop. _Whaaaaa'? So she doesn't think I'm crazy? _"Only Nico knows of Samuel." She continued and I felt my eyes widen.

"Wait, only Nico- why!?"

She rolled her eyes, obviously slightly annoyed, and maybe a little amused. "He is his uncle, obviously," her voice was accenting again. "And he is the primordial of fate and destiny."

_…uncle? _"Wait, so… you and Percy had se-" she blushed deeply and that was enough of an answer for me. I groaned and covered my eyes, exhaling heavily. "Right. That's perfectly normal."

Didn't stop that jealously from rising though.

"Anyways, we named Luke his Godfather, and Zoe his Godmother." Bianca carried on quickly, a slight blush still on her face. "But after four months… he was kidnapped." Her expression was suddenly blank and I felt guilty for being jealous. Gently, I sat down next to her. "I found out that I could have no more children…" she sighed, looking sad but resigned. "…and we became friends." I nodded, biting my lip, and she smiled wanly at me. "How did you know about Samuel?"

I ran my hand through my hair, unconsciously copying Percy's movements. "It was an accident, actually. Well, to some degree. I met Sam about half a year ago, when Percy was in Ashguard." I was so proud of myself; I was finally learning their strange names. "I had no idea who he was though, until yesterday, when Alpha said I could go out and take him with me."

I bowed my head, waiting for anger but none came. Instead she sighed and looked at me. "It wasn't your fault, you didn't know. I just have to warn you about one thing though; if Samuel is truly alive and that boy, Sam, is our son… then you might have your hands full once Perseus realizes it."

I gaped at her, and she smiled briefly before leaving me alone in the gym.

**Percy**

I watched the streets as they bustled with human activity, just like I had so many other times before, but this time, there was a new purpose to it. I wasn't just trying to figure out who I was, or what I am (I knew I wasn't like Annabeth, or Nico, or Luke or any of the others), I was trying to figure out why I am who I am. And who that kid was. He seemed to be so familiar to me, as if I knew him from somewhere, and maybe I did. But why would he trigger that memory? There was no other explanation for it, my imagination couldn't dream up something as morbid as that… I hope.

I did use morbid, because it was sinister.

There was just no way I was a father.

Whoa. That was a really weird thought. Time to move away from it.

There was just no way that he was my son. Who would I have been with? There was no way it would have been Annabeth- I knew that she had not been with me, and I had no idea what I felt toward her, it was just a huge blob of confusion.

A huge sticky blob.

I knew I cared for her, a lot, that much was certain, but I had no idea how much. I never had had a sister before, although I imagined that they would be a bit like Zoe or Bianca.

Suddenly, Bianca's eyes flashed in front of me, and I saw Sam grinning and I stopped dead. Wait, what if Sam is Bianca's son? But then, who is the father? She had never mentioned being together with someone… I felt a flash of anger toward whoever had left her, she did not deserve that!

Then I felt an unexpected surge of guilt and I looked outside again, and somehow my gaze narrowed in on Nico, even though I was five stories above him. He looked so tiny, from up high, although I knew he was anything but as he talked animatedly to Thalia, gesturing wildly.

_When one is compared to the world, we are nothing, in fact, we're barely ants._ My gaze turned to the thick crowds and I frowned, tilting my head slightly in puzzlement. _But in numbers… we can be powerful. _I frowned, staring at the cloaked figures and I felt unease stir in me. I knew those cloaks… one of the faces looked up and I froze, black eyes stared at me coldly and I knew that the person knew that I was up here.

_Hello, Forgotten Warrior._

My eyes widened and I backed away from the window, I knew that voice. _Who are you?! _I shouted mentally and I felt amusement enter my mind and I felt my power stir. I shoved it down; I did _not _need to blow something up- again.

_I am your past, your present, and your future._

I bit my metaphor tongue, I did not need to make a sassy remark as I uncapped my pen and the most deadly and shiniest three foot long stick to ever be known in Vanguard (okay, the deadliest-shiniest stick that can turn into a pen) appeared in my hand. I did know that person…

Then suddenly a light clicked on in my head, and it seemed like a dam had broken. Like water, the memories burst through the dam, roaring down the river.

_Gods of Olympus, he is_ my_ son._

That was my last thought before everything exploded.


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter IX_

**Percy**

I managed to get out of the golden blaze of doom that Void (yes, Void) had created, and ran as if my life depended on it… which it did. Technically. I was not sure what the other people saw as I flashed by them, maybe a crazy primordial who was not Torrent?

I noticed that nothing seemed to be out of place right here, and then cursed my ADHD which had not gone away entirely, even after twelve thousand years.

The newly gained images flashed through my mind. The very, _very_ early years with my mother, Sally Jackson, finding out that I was a demigod, going on lots of dangerous quests, fighting Gaea, Annabeth sort of but not really betraying me, meeting Chaos, those long, brutal days of training (more like agonizing torture at times, although not really), finally being made a warrior of Chaos (which was really, really surprising, before then, there had been no warriors of Chaos), the years after that, though they may have been the hardest, then… now.

I burst into the gym and my power reached out instinctively, pushing Annabeth and Bianca to the ground. I scream at them to _get down _unnecessarily, seeing as I had already pushed them down. But I did anyways. Suddenly the room exploded and I fell, instinctively shielding my eyes, next to Annabeth surprisingly and I shielded her as best as I could with my body, my power reaching out to Bianca as a shield.

Not the best thing to do, probably, especially with parts of the ceiling raining down on you, probably cutting your back and arms open- again. That was going to hurt later on. A lot.

I heard Annabeth scream my name, my given one, Perseus, and I winced at the sheer _volume _of it. Forget getting injured from the blast- I was going to get my eardrums killed. Courtesy of Annabeth Chase.

How many times do I have to tell her not to panic when we were under attack again? Although, I suppose I would not be much better about it... don't tell her that though. She would never let me live it down.

I felt the power rise, desperate to be able to be released at its full potential and I sighed. Void was too strong to not unleash it, even though I practically hated it. It made me a monster- if the others knew about it, then I would be shunned, or I would be awed. I had no idea which. It wasn't my fault, technically, it was Chaos', he had given me the power… well, more like forced me into it. I knew the consequences of becoming an-the- apprentice of Chaos. You could become the next Chaos, if you were gifted with the power.

The power, it was both good and evil, black and white- the best way to describe it would be gray. It could destroy everything if you wanted it too, it could save so many lives, but at the same time, it was like the sea, it did not like being restrained. It could lash out at any moment, or it could be as playful as a kitten (trust me on this one), it could be as soothing as a mother's hand or- well, you get the picture. I suppose the only word to really describe it would be chaotic. No pun intended.

I sighed and closed my eyes, finally submitting myself to it. The force, the power, it could be life, it could be death, it could the sky, the sea, the Earth. I felt like I was soaring through the universes, running through the trees, swimming with the fish in the deep blue sea. I felt like I was anything and everything. And yet, I also felt tiny, when I realized that I could be the world at the moment. When everything came down to it, I was only human. A tiny speck, with a lot of willpower.

_It's funny how humans can wrap their minds around their own version of reality. _Annabeth had told me once. I smirked slightly, shaking my head. She was right yet again, except I was going to… expand a little on that statement.

I sobered myself almost instantly, and concentrated on the oxygen, the nitrogen, the different gases and the molecules in the air- I remembered that Annabeth had called them atoms. This was confusing, because air wasn't even made out of solids; it was just a big mass of gases with oxygen… and nitrogen. I shook my head, forcing the thoughts out of it so that I would be able to concentrate on what I was doing. I really did not feel like blowing something up… again.

Suddenly, the air seemed to bend to my will and I kept my face blank, but I felt a surge of victory inside of me. Now, all I need is the Earth, which has the most molecules (atoms, whatever) that way I could do this.

A giant exploding ball of gas was what the sun was, this time, it was a fact that Annabeth had not told me- Chaos had stressed so many times about how dangerous it was that I had no choice but to know what it was. Of course, I would never tell her that Chaos told me that… seeing as I already told her I had read about it in a book somewhere. Which was true. I _had _read about it in one of those interesting science books that Alpha had forced me into reading, with a bribe of fifty gold, which was the amount of twenty dollars. Of course, once I started reading it, I couldn't put the book down. I knew why Annabeth liked reading so much after that.

Some of the stuff was _fascinating._

Suddenly, the force (or power, if you want to be touchy) strengthened and everything seemed to suddenly be in HD, or possibly 3D. I could suddenly _see _the Earth, the threads of life, and I was stunned at how connected everything seemed to be. I wondered if this was how Chaos felt, because if it was, I suppose it wouldn't be too bad…

I turned to look at Void, who suddenly looked fearful and I looked down, and then raised my head, unknowingly giving a noble image to my friends. (Exes?) I smiled sadly at him and stood up, raising a hand and stopped the crumbling walls in time, but everything else was not.

I was called the Forgotten Warrior for a reason, after all.

And I had just awakened from my rest. Or maybe, I had finally opened my eyes to the truth around me.

I was Chaos reincarnated.


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter X_

**Percy**

Void stared at me with a foreign expression, well, foreign on his face. I had seen that fear on other faces. I liked that expression, especially when the tyrant wore it. "Heir of Chaos…" he breathed, his eyes wide. I smirked up at him, holding a small ball of fire in my hand, perfectly safe from harm.

"Yes," I murmured, bowing my head. "I am the heir of Chaos' powers." I pushed myself up, still keeping my head down and I sat in front of Annabeth, still shielding her with my body. I felt as she sat up, and I kept my arms spread out, partly to show my innocence and partly to keep her back. I looked up, locking my gaze with Void, who was frozen.

I had no idea if that was me, or if he was literally frozen in fear.

"That's impossible…" the deity growled, suddenly shaking his head. "Chaos knows how risky it is to pass down his powers to a mortal!"

I smirked slightly. "Yes," I agreed, standing up. "It is risky, but he was dying and we knew that you were rising. There was no other choice." I didn't mention that it had hurt, a lot, and that I had threatened to combust several times. He didn't need to know that little detail. _Run_, I murmured to Annabeth. I sensed her hesitation and nearly rolled my eyes.

"But… you would have died- or combusted!" Void protested, stepping back. I sighed, wondering why they always thought that. But then they had always underestimated me, which I was grateful for.

"Well… I blew up several things." I stated cheerfully, shrugging slightly, moving the rope with my mind. "The Cheops pyramids for one." I smiled impishly and heard Annabeth gasp. "I think I might have accidentally blown one of the planets out of one of the universes as well."

I watched as Void's eyes narrowed and they flashed angrily. I held out a hand and created a shield around Bianca and Annabeth. It was obvious that neither was leaving. "I will not bow down to a mortal." Void sneered, and suddenly he held out his hands and fire was being blasted at me. I reacted instinctively; I threw my hands out in front of me and _pushed _the fire back.

I felt like laughing and crying as it escaped, more out of relief then anything, because I had had to hold it back for so long. The power rushed through my arms and out of my hands, leaving a tingling sensation behind. It danced through the air, before forcing Void's fire back. The fire stopped and Void stood there, breathing heavily with wide eyes. I lowered my hands cautiously, expecting another attack but the deity seemed to be in some kind of shock.

"You weren't bluffing…" Void muttered and I raised an eyebrow at him. He paused for a moment, then he jerked his head up and everything suddenly started crumbing. I yelped as I dodged a boulder, dragging Annabeth with me. "I'll see you soon, Forgotten Warrior." He vowed and I stared at him in surprise as he turned on his heel and jumped out the window.

"Huh?"

I was sure that he had cast some kind of confusion spell on me, because I couldn't process the fact that he had literally _walked out the window_. I ran over to it and looked down, and regretted that action almost instantly.

I had no idea what Void and his followers had done, but they had practically destroyed my home. There were fires burning, houses had collapsed, the stands on the streets had been destroyed, there were people lying in the rubble or they were buried under debris. The fires were everywhere, and I watched in horrified fascination as one of the houses collapsed and another caught fire suddenly. I noticed that the wind had picked up as well, which was not good for the fire.

Suddenly there was a loud roar and I looked up, and watched as a mountain began to collapse. "_What the h…_" I breathed, my eyes widening. I felt someone join me and I looked over toward Annabeth and Bianca, who had somehow gotten out of my shields and that they had joined me at the window.

"Oh no," Annabeth whispered. I looked up on instinct and watched as one of the pillars broke and finally collapsed.

I stared at it in confusion, and then suddenly it dawned on me. The castle was about to collapse. My eyes widened and I cursed, stepping away from the window. "We need to get out of here, now!" I commanded, and both girls looked up, and then noticed what I had noticed.

"Ah…" Bianca muttered. I didn't say anything, I just grabbed both of their arms and we bolted in a desperate dash against time as the Castle began shaking. I dodged another pillar and Annabeth sped up, so that she was now in front.

She yanked the door open to the training room and I caught it, gesturing for Bianca to go on. She didn't hesitate at all; she knew that that was an order. I took a deep breath and ran after them, hoping that I wasn't about to get killed.

Through the halls we ran, dodging crumbling walls and falling ceilings and pillars. I counted at least ten close calls, usually one of us would pull the other behind or ahead. Or, in my case I would stop the piece of debris from crushing the person, seeing as the power still hadn't settled entirely. It was still operating on instinct at the moment, and not my command- not that I minded, of course. It had saved our lives several times, and I suspected that it had been holding the castle back.

It was like the sea, after all, rough and unpredictable but also friendly and a lifesaver. I heard Annabeth scream as the ceiling collapsed right in front of her, probably out of fear and surprise. I stopped dead and looked over my shoulder, then nodded down a door. "This way." I murmured, lightly tapping her shoulder. I walked into a door and entered a shortcut. She and Bianca followed me and I could hear their loud breathing like they were right beside me, which they were, technically.

I opened the door at the other end of the hall and stepped into the main corridor and saw the great oaken door. Bianca, Annabeth and I traded looks, and then all three of sprinted toward them. I held my hand out, willing for them to blow open and they did, the castle's shaking suddenly increased and it felt like it was about to collapse.

Annabeth, Bianca and I jumped out the doors and ran as if our life depended on it, which it did and I winced as I heard the castle collapse. I turned around and watched it with horror, because it was collapsing.

"_Oh, man_." I muttered to myself.

The castle, like the mountain, was finally falling, and it had caught on fire.

_My home… _I thought to myself in dismay. I felt Annabeth fall to the ground, possibly from shock and Bianca was shaking. The power screamed in pain and I winced, but then I was filled with anger.

_Why did Void always have to ruin everything?_

I looked up at the sky, and screamed, long and hard like a beast, before I fell to the ground, trembling and crying.

Void would not get away with this. It was then that I vowed to give him the justice that he deserved, because although many didn't know it…

…I was Chaos' reincarnation.

_End of Book Four_


End file.
